Ice-scoring machine



v E. 1.. THIBODEAUX ETAL 12,514,912

ICE-SCORING MACHINE July 11, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 File d Sept 25; 1948 HVVENTDRS. Eawaeo L Twaoosnux FL vl v J. 7711500500) 171' To RHEYs July 11, 1950- Filed Sept E. L. THIBODEAUX ETAL LUBE-SCORING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT .s. 0waa 4. Tulsa aux 191. wav, V. Tmeoosnox 2mm r6402;

Patented July 11,1950

,ICE-SCORING MACHINE EdwardLThibodeaux and Alvin J. Thibodeaux, Demopolis,Ala.

Application September 23, 1948; serial No. 50.818

- This invention relates to an ice scoring machine andparticularly to a'machine for scoring blocks of ice as they come from an ice machine, along predetermined spaced lines and has for an object' the-provision of a machine of the char- 1 acter designated which shall be simple of design and operation and easily manipulated." A further objectbf our invention is to provide an icescoring machine including spaced rotary saws mounted on parallel shafts together with means to j move the apparatus to a stationary block or ice when'scoring it.

More'specific objects of our invention are to provide an -ice scoring machine including spaced I rotary saws mounted onparallel shafts with an improved housing,with safety guards for the saws mo'unted J in the housing, to minimize accidents; to provide novel mounting means in which the saw housing suspended from an overhead track with supporting rollers, whereby to shift the saws relative to a block of ice; and to provide means for driving the saws in opposite directions whereby to throw the ice cut by the saws rearwardlyand to draw the saws into the block of ice being scored.

1 Apparatus embodying features of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1' is afront elevational view;

Fig. 2 isa side elevational view;-

Fig.3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 41s an enlarged sectional view along the line 'IV'IV of Fig! 1;

Fig. is a detail sectional view taken along line V-"Vo f'Fig. 2

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view illustrating the operation of the machine in scoring a block 0 ice while standing on d to Figs-"1to5"'inclusive""thereof, our improved machine is comprised of a housing having semicylindrical 'sides Ill-and H which are joined together in spaced relation at their upper ends by. aco'ver |2 so as to be open at front and rear tostr'addle a block of ice as it comes from an ice making machine. The l0wer;.e'nds of the semicylindrical sides are closed by" separate end members |3 and M, which are not joined to each other- Mounted above the housing is a track comprised of facing channel members l6 and l1.

The housing is suspended from' the overhead track bymeans' of astructural frame member l8 secured at its lower end to thehousing I2 and which has a horizontal structural member |9 secured to its upperends. Rigidly-secured to the ends of the horizontal member I}! are hangers 2| and 22 which at their upper ends carry axles 23 on each of which are journalled rollers 24 and 28. See Fig. 5. The rollers 24 and 26 are of a diametersubstantially equal to the width of the channels l6 and I1 whereby to prevent tilting of the machine in operation.

Extending longitudinally of the semi-cylindrical sides I9 and II of the housing are vertical shafts 21 and 2B which are mounted in suitable bearings in the ends of-the housing, as shown. The shafts 2'! and 28 are driven, respectively, by electric motors 29 and 3| which are mounted on the structural member I8. Mounted on the shafts 21 and 28, respectively, are upper opposed saws 32 and 33, and lower opposed saws 34 and 36. The saws 32 and 34 on the shaft 21, and the saws 33and 36 on the shaft 28 are preferably spaced apart a distanceequal to the length of a 300 pound block'of ice as it-comes from the ice machine. The motors 29 and 3| drivethe saws in opposite directions as indicated by the arrowsin Fig. 4 whereby they feed their way into a block of-ice as will hereinafter be more fully explained. f

The apparatus is pulled back and forth manually on the overhead trackby means of a U-shaped handle 3l secured to an angle member 38 on the upper end l2 of the housing. Mounted to oscillatein front of the shafts 27 and 28 in the housing are rods 39 and 4| which extend from end to end of the housing and are journalled in the ends thereof. Mounted on the rods 39 and 4| in front of each of the'sa'ws 32, 33, 34 and 36,

is a guard comprised of arcuate fingers 42 and 43 disposed immediately above and below the sawand in front thereof. Torsion springs 44 and 46 surrounding the rods 39 and 4| and anchored in the u per end member [2 of the housing normally hold the rods with their guards yieldingly in'their forward positions. On the upper ends of the rods 39 and 4| are notches 41 and 48which are engaged by detents 49 and 5| when the guards are in their forward positions and which hold them latched .in that position until released. The detents 49 and 5| are carried by bars 52 and 53 which are pivoted, respectively, at 54 and56 and which are provided with slotted overlapping ends at 51. A pull handle58, accessibleto the handle 31 for operating the machine, is disposed to be grasped by the operator when grasping the handle 3'1 to release the detents 49 and 5|, whenever required. The pull handle 58 is held in its rearward or latching position, by means of a spring 59.

As before stated, the saws on each of the shafts are preferably spaced apart a distance equal to the length of a 300 pound block of ice as it comes from the ice machine. In operation, the block of ice 6| (see Fig. 6) is {placed directly in front of the machine in a position so that the lower saws 34 and 36 may score it along a line 62 which is A; of the distance from the lower end of the block. The upper saws 32 and '33 at the same time score the block along :a line 63 a distance of the length of the block. The block is thus scored along lines dividing it into three 100 pound blocks.

The block 6|, scored along lines to divide vit into three 100 pound blocks may then be turned on itsside as shown in Fig. 7 onto a level support 64 which raises the block a sufficient distance for the lower saws 34 and 36 to score it along a line 66 which thus divides the three 100 pound blocks already provided into six 50 pound blocks.

Ifitbe desired to further divide into 25 pound blocks, the upper 100 pound section A of the block is first removed and the remaining portions of the block are placed in a raised position shown in Fig. 8 whereby the 'lower portion of theblocl; is scored along 'lines 6'! and 68 to divide the 50 pound blocks into halves.

I In order to raise the block to thepositionshown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, We preferably provide the level support 64 with an auxiliary block 69 whichis hinged to the side thereof and which is of a thickness, when turned over to the position shown in Fig. 8, to raise the block of ice the required distance to subdivide the 50 pound block as shown in Fig. 7 into -25 pound blocks.

In the operation 'just described, the handle 3! of the machine :is grasped by the operator and the pull member 58 releasing the detents 49 and M is simultaneously grasped by him to release the guards -42 and 43 on each of the saws. With the block of ice in front of the machine, the operator pulls it forwardly, the rotation of thesaws being in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 4

causes the saws to feed their way into the block of ice and to throw the ice cut by the saws rearwardly ofthe apparatus. As soon as the block has been scored along the lines such as 63 andBZ, the apparatus is pushed rearwardly, manually, and if further cutting is to be done, the ice may be turned to the position shown in Figs. 7 and 3 as required.

In actual operation, we have found our improved apparatus effective to rapidly score blocks of ice. In the cutting operation, the machine is very easy to operate, as it feeds its way into the block of ice and once the scoring "is done is easily pushed rearwardly out of the way. The direction of rotation of the saws is such that the ice cut by the saws is thrown to the rear out of the way of the operator and thus causes no hazard. Furthermore, the guards 4 2 and 43 in front of the saws are so mounted and held in position that danger therefrom to the operator is prevented.

While we have "shown our invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes andmodifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed "thereupon as are specifically 'set'forth in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In an ice scoring machine, a pair of spaced vertically extending shafts, a pair of rotary saws oneach shaft spaced to score a block of ice along predetermined lines, a housing for the shafts and saws having spaced semi-cylindrical sides par- Itially encircling the saws and open front and rear to straddle a block of ice, an overhead horizontal supporting track for the housing, a rigid member extending upwardly from the housing, a horizontal arm on the rigid member, rollers coacting between the horizontal arm and the track, a handie on the upper end of the housing disposed to be grasped to move the housing and saws horizontally, rods mounted the housing to oscillate in .front of the saws, guard members on the rods above and below each of the saws, and springs for yieldably holding the guard members in front of the saws.

2. In an ice scoring machine, a pair of spaced vertically extending shafts, a pair of rotary saws on each shaft spaced to score a block of ice along predetermined lines, a housing for the shafts and saws having spaced semi-cylindrical sides partially encircling the saws and open front and rear to straddle :a block of ice, an overhead horizontal supporting track for the housing, a rigid member extending upwardly from the housmg, a horizontal arm on the rigid member, rollers coacting between the horizontal arm and the track, and a handle on the upper end of the housi-ng disposed to be grasped to move the housing and saws horizontally, rods mounted in the housing to oscillate in front of the saws, guard members on the rods above and below each of the saws, springs for yieldably holding the guard members in front of thesaws, a latch for each of the rods to hold the guard members against movement until released, and releasing means for the latches mounted-adacent the handle on the housing whereby to release the guards when sawing. l

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 together with means to drive the saws opposite directions to throw the shavings rearwardly of the saw and to draw the apparatus'i-nto the block of ice being sawed.

4. An ice scoring machine comprising spaced parallel vertically disposed saw shafts, a pair of spaced saws on each shaft, a :housing for the shafts and the saws open at front iandrear for the passage of a block of ice, a horizontal roller support for suspending the housing, a handle on the housing in position :to be grasped to shift the housing and saws with respect to a block-of ice, spring pressed guard fingers in front of each of the saws, latch means for detaining the fingers in guard position, and means accessible to the handles for releasing the latch means.

EDWARD THIBODEAUX. ALVIN J. THIBGDEAUX.

@i'lED The-following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number i Name 7 Date 1,547,620 ishdp eeta l July 28, 1925 1,561,112 Roark Nov. 10,1925 2,196,541 Whisler Apr. 9, I940 

